Relativistic electron beams detection in a dense plasma focus

Fast electron beams into a hollow anode of a small plasma focus machine (2 kJ, 4 μF) were measured. The diagnostic method designed for this purpose is founded in a small Rogowski coil introduced into a cavity performed in the anode. By means of this, electron beam pulses of about 10 ns width generated in the plasma focus are detected. Simultaneously, hard X-ray signals obtained from a scintillator-photomultiplier system are registered. The electron beam energy was measured through the time-of-flight of the electrons between probe and anode top. The beams are found to be relativistic and its energy is into the range of hard X-rays energy. An analysis of signal intensities and relative delays for three hundred shots are here presented. Received 28 February 2002 / Received in final form 7 May 2002 Published online 24 September 2002     

Enhancement of X-ray emission in the side on direction in a Mather-type plasma focus

A 1.8 kJ Mather-type plasma focus (PF) for argon and hydrogen filling is examined. Two anode configurations are used. One is tapered towards the anode face, and the other is cylindrical but the face is cut at different angles. At optimum conditions, the system is found to emit Cu–Kα X-rays of about 1.6±0.1 J/sr in the side-on direction for argon filling, which is about 32% of the total X-ray emission. In 4π-geometry, maximum total X-ray yield and wall plug efficiency found are 26.4±1.3 J and 1.5± 0.1% respectively. The modified geometry may help to use the PF as a radiation source for X-ray diffraction.     

Schlieren diagnostics of the plasma focus using a mode-locked dye laser

By means of schlieren techniques the discharge characteristics of a 1 kJ plasma focus device were investigated. Different inner electrodes were used with diameters ranging from 4 mm to 10 mm and the working gases were hydrogen and neon. A spatial resolution in the m region and a temporal resolution in the ps region could be achieved using a mode-locked dye laser as schlieren light source. During the run-down and collapse phase of the discharge the spatially and temporally resolved electron density was determined from the schlieren pictures by means of numerical simultations of the beam deflection by the plasma. During the focus phase the temporal development of the plasma could be observed.     

Application of high velocity streams of dense plasma for the creating of high adhesive compounds of chemically noninteracting metals

The work presents the experimental results of investigation of the possibility of the creating of high adhesive compound of chemically noninteracting metals by means of pulse streams of high temperature dense plasma. The 4 kJ plasma focus installation was used as a source of pulse streams of plasma. In the experiment assemblies of Cu–W and Pb–Fe samples were used. The deep penetration of atoms Cu and Pb accordingly in W and Fe was found. The mechanisms of the penetration of chemically neutral atoms into a material of the target can be connected with the following processes: the energy transfer from plasma pulse to implanting atoms, the origin and distribution of shock waves in the material of a target, and also the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the border of two combining materials.     

Neutron production with mixture of deuterium and krypton in Sahand Filippov type plasma focus facility

This Letter reports the order of magnitude enhancement in neutron yield from Sahand plasma focus device with krypton seeded deuterium operation. The highest average neutron yield of 2.2×¹⁰⁹ neutrons per shot was achieved at 1.00 Torr deuterium with 3% krypton which is higher than the best average neutron yield of 3.18×¹⁰⁸ neutrons per shot for pure deuterium operation. Estimation of average neutron energy showed that the maximum and minimum average energies are 2.98±0.6 MeV at 16 kV in 0.25 Torr deuterium with 3% Kr and 2.07±0.2 MeV at 18 kV operation in 0.5 Torr deuterium with 3% Kr, respectively. The anisotropy of neutron emission from Sahand DPF showed that the neutrons are produced mainly by beam-target mechanisms.     

Study of plasma parameter’s distribution upon electrical wire explosion

Experimental results on electrical explosion of wires in vacuum with current density  A/m², current rise rate (dI/dt) ~ 50 A/ns and current pulse with amplitude ∼10 kA are presented. The structure of the discharge channels in vacuum has been studied using laser shadow and schlieren imaging with 7 ns frames, UV pinhole images with 5 ns frames and X pinch X-ray backlighting. The information on the dense core material and the conducting plasma distributions was obtained in our experiments by analyzing and comparing the results obtained from all diagnostics.     

Measuring of spatio-temporal characteristics Z-pinch from deuterated polyethylene

On the S-300 installation at currents up to 2 MA with rise time 100 ns, the investigation of the formation process of high-temperature plasma in fast Z-pinch was carried out. The central part of the loads was made from agar-agar and represented a deuterated polyethylene cylinder with small density 50 and 75 mg/sm³ and 1–2 mm diameter. On the ICT images, obtained in optical and soft X-ray range of a spectrum with 3–5 ns exposition, it is visible that on the axis of the polyethylene cylinder at the current`s rise time a cord is formed and it is separated into bright formations. They were observed on a background of a luminous area which occupied the initial neck volume. On time-integrated pinhole pictures obtained in SXR range (E > 1–4 keV), hot points with minimal size of 50 microns were registered. From the chronograms results, obtained by means of the optical high-speed-streak camera mount along the neck axis with time resolution < 1 ns, it follows that luminous formations arise sequentially during the different time moments (in 10–30 ns). Occurrence of luminous formations was accompanied by X-ray radiation occurrence with energy E > 1 keV with short duration of 2–4 ns. Simultaneously with X-ray radiation neutrons with the maximal yield of 4.5×10⁹ were registered. The average energy measured in 4 directions under angles with an axis of: 0^○ (above the anode), 90^○, 180^○ (under the cathode) and 270^○, were accordingly: 2.4±0.2, 2.5±0.1, 2.5±0.1, 2.5±0.1 MeV.     

Optical phase conjugation and related experiments with surface plasma waves

We report on the experimental observation of optical phase conjugation using surface plasma waves in two different configurations: one involving four surface plasma waves and the other one involving two surface pump waves and bulk probe and conjugate waves. The major nonlinear contribution comes from heating of the metal film. In a related experiment, we have also observed the coupling of a bulk probe wave to the corresponding surface wave through the grating created by two counter-propagating surface plasma waves. In this case, we could observe the creation of surface acoustical waves.     

Capillary discharge soft X-ray laslng in Ne-like Ar pumped by long current pulses

A capillary discharge soft X-ray laser operating at 46.9 nm on the transition 3p-3s (J = 0-1) of the Ne-like Ar has been realized by exciting the active medium with a long half-cycle duration current pulse of 140 ns. The current is produced by discharging a 10 nF water dielectric capacitor, initially charged to voltages lower than 200 kV by a six stage Marx generator, through a 15-cm long capillary channels. The laser amplification has been obtained by properly adjusting all the other experimental parameters. Utilizing a 3-mm in diameter Al₂O₃ capillary channel initially filled with 0.3 torr of Ar pressure, a laser beam, which has a 4-mrad divergence and a time duration of 1.3 ns, is characterized by a gain of 0.6±0.1 cm^-1. The stability of the plasma compression followed by the laser emission is verified. Received 13 December 2001     

A study of Z-pinch in capillary filled by boron vapours

Pinching discharge in non-ablative and ablative capillaries filled by boron vapors is studied. The aim is to find out conditions for lasing at Balmer alpha transition of hydrogen-like boron ions B⁴⁺ (λ= 26.23 nm). The primary pumping process under consideration is a three-body collisional recombination, which takes place in non-stationary underheated plasma during the pinch expansion stage. The results of Z-pinch computer modeling including the plasma kinetics and gain evaluation are compared for two different quarter periods of electrical current passing through the capillary.     

Enhancement of Ne-like Ar 46.9 nm laser output by mixing appropriate He ratio at low pressure

With pure Ar and gaseous mixtures of Ar-He, the laser spike of Ne-like Ar 46.9 nm pumped by capillary discharge is measured with XRD (X-ray diode) at low pressure. We observe the effects of the Ar pressure and the He ratio on the amplitude of laser pulse. Compared with the laser spike of pure Ar, a mixture of Ar and a small quantity of He enhances the laser output. The time of lasing onset and the duration of laser pulses are not affected by mixing He. In addition, a monochromator is used to measure the laser pulse at 46.9 nm. This is the first observation of laser output with a Ar-He mixture.     

Monte Carlo method for neutron spectrum recovery - a new approach based on the accelerated ions distribution

New method of neutron spectrum recovery described in the paper involves accelerated deuterons (that produce neutrons in DD reaction) and allows getting neutron spectrum in any direction from computed time-velocity characteristics of deuterons. Time of flight signals registered in various distances and directions are used, that makes information involved in the recovery process (Monte-Carlo simulation) more complete than in a one-directional case, although additional assumption about axial symmetry of deuterons motion, is required. In the paper recent results of two standard tests of the proposed method are presented demonstrating its capability to recover neutron spectrum from time-of-flight signals.     

Experimental study of the neutron emission mechanisms in a Filippov-type plasma focus device

The results of an experimental investigation of neutron emission characteristics in the Filippov-type plasma focus facility Dena (90 kJ, 25 kV, 288 µF) with D₂ + %1 Kr as working gas are presented. From the experimental results, one can conclude that both thermonuclear and nonthermonuclear mechanisms are always present in neutron production, but their contributions to the total neutron yield are strongly dependent on the initial pressure and discharge voltage. It has been found that at constant discharge voltages and low pressures the beam—target interaction mechanism plays an important role in the neutron production and with increasing the pressure, its role decreases and the importance of thermonuclear mechanism increases. Also at constant pressures, the contribution of beam—target interaction mechanism in neutron production decreases with increasing the discharge energy. The value of the index in the empirical neutron yield scaling law Y_n I E^/2 was found to be about 3.82.     

Tomography analysis of the sawtooth crash with post-cursor in LHCD plasma on HT-7 tokamak

Sawtooth oscillations with post-cursor were observed in LHCD plasma on HT-7 tokamak. The mode exists and decays gradually after the crash, which implies that the magnetic reconnection is incomplete and the central safety factor remains below unity after the crash. From results of the singular value decomposition (SVD) and tomographic reconstructions describing the magnetic surface structures in the crash, it was found that the m/n=1/1 mode survives in the crash. It is shown that, the appearance of the preservation of this mode is inconsistent with the secondary reconnection theory, and we conjecture that the evolving of this mode may be understood with the stochastic field model.     

稠密等离子体聚焦装置的中子产额及其稳定性研究

叙述了稠密等离子体聚焦装置(DPF)作为中子发生器的工作原理,讨论了影响DPF中子产额及其稳定性的一些因素和改进措施。利用不同电极形状、不同绝缘气体的场崎变开关可以很好地提高聚焦装置的运行性能,使装置输出中子的起伏由过去的约两个量级降到目前的3倍左右。通过对腔内电极的清洁,在不更换气体的条件下。中子产额无明显下降。     

Polarized proton target for RI Beam experiments

We have constructed a polarized proton solid target system for radioactive nuclear beam experiments at the Center for Nuclear Study, the University of Tokyo. The proton polarization is based on an electron population difference in a photo-excited triplet state of pentacene molecule. The target system was completed in 2003 and applied to a RI beam experiment in 2003 and 2005 by using the projectile fragment separator, RIPS at RIKEN. The maximum polarization reached 20% under the condition of T=100 K and B=0.09 T. Overview of the polarized target and its application in physics experiments at RIPS and RIBF of RIKEN are presented.     

Particle and power balance in fusion plasma with different fuelling scenarios and helium ash removal

The time evolution of plasma density, temperature and thermal alpha-particle density are considered through modelling of helium ash removal. It is shown that a slow variation of the helium ash density with time can be used for operation path changing in deuterium-tritium fusion plasma. Also, the effect of different fuelling rate scenarios on the plasma operation path and steady state parameters is considered. The temporal evolution of the operating point during the ignition access and ignited operation phases are analyzed analytically and numerically. The main target of the study is the optimization of the plasma operation scenario in future fusion reactors including ITER.     

用马赫贞德干涉仪测量喷气式Z箍缩等离子体密度

为了研究喷气式Z箍缩（gas-puff Z-pinch）等离子体的内爆特性,研制了一套马赫-贞德干涉系统,并在小型喷气式Z箍缩装置(充电电压23kV,放电峰值电流210kA)上进行了试验,获得了清晰的干涉图像。根据干涉图上条纹的移动数目,计算得到该装置内爆早期等离子体的平均电子密度为1017~1018/cm3。     

A micro Z-pinch as a spark of an axial detonation

Summary In order that a Z-pinch in a DT plasma could spark off an axial nuclear detonation wave severe conditions on space and time concentration of electromagnetic energy must be satisfied. Such energy compression could be achieved by a magnetic-field compressor (MFC) in which a fast liner compresses an azimuthal field (B _φ) of a micro Z-pinch. The driver of the MFC could be either a heavy-ion beam or an explosive magnetic-field generator (EMG) destroyed at each shot. In conclusion, some of the major problems associated with this approach to ICF are outlined.